HUNTER. 69 



or three inches smaller than the stallion,* what 

 can be expected? It would be contrary to na- 

 ture to find a good produce. 



A half, or three parts bred horse, may often be 

 found with all the good points of a thorough-bred, 

 save three or four, and the want of these three 

 or four shall indubitably prove him no thorough- 

 bred. In lieu of the large brilliant eye, thin skin, 

 small, flat shank-bone, and large back sinews, sub- 

 stitute a smaller eye, a thicker skin, a larger, 

 round shank-bone, and small tied-in back-sinews ; 

 who will then believe him thorough-bred ? Or, 

 to take other points, in lieu of the clean, wide 

 jowl, thin open nostril, deep mouth, and large mus- 

 cular hind quarters, substitute a closed fleshy jowl, 

 a thick shut nostril, a heavy-lipped mouth, and 

 hind quarters, deficient of thigh muscle ; and who 

 will then believe him thorough-bred ? With faults 

 like these, he must gallop a mile and a half in 

 very good time before you will obtain thorough- 

 bred price. Even one single faulty point will 

 frequently enable a good judge to detect a flaw 

 in the blood. And this brings me to a question I 



* Professor Coleman stated in his lectures (I have not seen 

 it in print), that trying to increase the size of the Indian horses 

 by crossing with the large English stallions was ruination to the 

 breed, and that no well-proportioned foals could be expected. 



